The sides were all in the mind palace, trying to plan for Thomas's next video including. It would be lying to say that things were going well, especially for the creative trait. To Roman, it seemed that even before he could fully explain his ideas, they'd be immediately shut down.
"We can't go back to another part of the mind palace! Our business there never really ends well." Logan had begun to pick at the suggestion.
"I wasn't finished explaining-"
"Also, there's not really a problem we have that's worth going to a new place." Virgil cut the Prince off.
Roman was speechless. He looked around the room to silently ask Patton for help. The father figure met his glance. "I'm sorry, kiddo. It does sound fun but maybe now's not the best time."
"Well, if none of you like these ideas, what do you think I should do?"
"You know us, Roman just think of what we'd say," Logan replied bluntly.
"Oh...okay then. Thanks for the help," Roman mumbled, before sinking down.
From the moment he got to his room, Roman had stressed himself out trying to actually think of a good idea according to the others. Looks like he wasn't getting any sleep tonight. Everything he thought of came with rejecting thought, but soon Roman took Logan's 'advice' too hard and started to only focus on what the others liked. He thought he was doing the right thing by shutting out his own individuality and spin. No one seemed to care to tell him otherwise. Eventually, the fanciful side thought of something, leaving him very little time to relax.
The next morning, Roman presented this new idea to the others, hiding his stress and exhaustion with concealer and a fake smile. To his surprise, he faced no interruptions and nobody said anything harsh. When he finished, Logan, Patton, and Virgil did not seem unhappy at all.
"I've gotta say, Princey, I'm impressed." The anxious trait was the first to react.
"Really?"
"We all are, Roman," Logan replied, "it seems as if you took my advice to heart."
Roman relaxed a bit. Apparently his plan worked. He looked around, noticing that Patton hadn't followed up with anything.
"Pat? What do you think?"
The parental trait looked like he'd been startled. "Oh! I think it's a great idea, Ro. You clearly put a lot of work into the plan."
"Thanks, everyone," Roman smiled more, glad that the others liked it. "Do you guys have any suggestions?"
Logan shook his head. "This already encompasses an ideal outline. Now, we should actually act upon this idea."
This went on for a while. At night, Roman would lose more and more sleep trying to think of an idea that the other sides would be willing to use. Was it bad that he wasn't being true to himself? Nobody seemed to notice anyway, so what problems could spur from that now? About a month later, the sides had met up. Roman was the last to show, and Patton let out a gasp when he saw the prince. He was wearing his old outfit and he looked less put together. The concealer had been sloppily applied and he didn't carry himself out as confidently.
After the meeting, Patton pulled him aside. "Roman, are you okay?"
The fanciful side was quick to respond. "Of course, Patton! Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you've been acting and presenting yourself a bit differently for a while now. I'm worried about you, kiddo."
Roman's eyes widenened. "I think I'm just tired, Pat."
Patton sighed and gave in. "Okay. Just promise you'll tell me if something is wrong."
"Will do." The Prince nodded before excusing himself to go to his room. After that, Patton decided to keep more tabs on Roman.
More months passed and Patton grew more concerned. Roman grew more tired and became apathetic. Every time he shared something, he just sounded like he was reciting a useless piece of information from memory. He didn't show up as much and stopped making references as well as giving the other sides nicknames.
Patton knew that Roman wouldn't tell him what was wrong, so he talked to the others about the Prince's behavior.
"Have you guys noticed how Roman's been acting?" The father figure got right to the point. Logan was the first to answer. "I've noticed that he's been slightly off, but I wasn't noticing anything too drastic." Patton gave the logical side a dumbfounded look before Virgil replied. "Well, he's not around when I am, and vice versa, so I don't really know. Have you noticed anything?"
"Well, yeah-"
"Have you talked to him?" Logan cut Patton off.
"I have, but he wouldn't open up."
"We should all try again next time we see him, then." Virgil suggested.
"Great idea, kiddo," Patton smiled slightly at the anxious side.
The next morning was when they planned to have their talk. Patton, Logan, and Virgil all met up in the mind palace and waited for Roman. Well, he showed up soon after, and boy were the others surprised by his current state. The outfit he was wearing was almost as casual as Virgil's old one, he looked like he had just gotten out of bed, and he didn't even bother to cover up his bags with concealer.
"Roman...? Are you alright?" Logan still asked, even though he knew the answer. It was then that Roman actually noticed the other sides. The look he gave them was broken and pained, but dull an empty as well.
"I don't know..." he mumbled. "I don't know how I feel. Heck, I don't even know myself anymore."
"What do you mean?" Patton asked. "Roman, you're scaring me."
"You want to know why the ideas I gave you all suddenly became amazing overnight?" The others didn't respond. "I just wanted to appease you all! I thought that if I only focused on what you all would want and do while completely brushing over my wants and not putting myself into it, that you'd listen. That I'd feel like a validated member of the team. Guess I was right about one thing."
The more the others listened to Roman, the more they understood what he meant. Almost immediately, Patton hugged him and Virgil and Logan joined soon after.
"Oh my gosh...I am so sorry, Roman. I had no idea that this is what was happening," the parental trait did whatever he could to comfort the Prince.
"We should've at least listened and helped in better ways," Logan sighed. "We're sorry."
Roman looked at the other sides. "Do you mean that?"
"Of course! You didn't deserve any of that!" Virgil exclaimed.
Roman's expression was still unreadable. Patton tried to do something. Maybe getting the creative side's juices flowing for an idea could help.
"Ro...what would you want to do if you were doing better?"
"I don't know."
"We could write another song?"
"It won't be taken seriously."
"Skills games?"
"Unfair advantages."
The ideas that Patton suggested were ones that Roman thought of and now, the fanciful side was using the others' own condratictions against his own ideas. Patton ran through more ideas and each side tensed up when Roman used one of their own arguments. Tears started to form in Patton's eyes, as he kept trying to get Roman back to his usual self, but who knew how long ago he lost that part of him. That's when the father figure gave up on this idea and tried something else.
"'I don't need more reminders of all that's been broken. I don't need you to fix what I'd rather forget. Clear the slate and start over. Try to quiet the noises in your head. We can't compete with all that.'"
Roman recognized the tune and although he was hesitant, something pushed him to join in.
"'So what if it's us? What if it's us? And only us? And what came before won't count anymore or matter. Can we try that?'"
The song was at least making Roman feel better, so he didn't stop. Logan and Virgil joined in at some parts, but didn't try and push for anything and let them have that moment.
By the end of the song, both Roman and Patton were crying. The creative side seemed slightly better and the father figure noticed this. He then made a promise that he'd help Roman and be there for him, even after he was completely better. Patton was pushed out of his thoughts when Roman tightly hugged him. Patton hugged back.
"Thanks, Pat."
Patton smiled at the nickname he hadn't heard in months.
"You're welcome, kiddo."
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NOTE: Song: "Only Us" from Dear Evan Hansen. Song lyrics are double quoted and itslicised.
